To Linger
by Blissful Illusions
Summary: Through the corridors of the Hiryuu Palace, hidden behind its many walls...there lies a secret. Another lady of noble breeding, but a maiden of forbidden upbrining. They had always reminded her, "You may be the embodiment of perfection, but her highness will always be far more superior." She must always know her place. She was to be a shadow, the princess's shadow. But...no more.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello Darlings,**

 **I am not officially back, but this is a start to get my gears going.**

 **I was going through some of my older documents awhile back, and I found this. I had always been a low-key fan of Akatsuki no Yona but no one really knew about because I was so low-key about it. I had always been a fan of those historical dramas where the royal family isn't as dignified and regal as they ought to be. I'm guessing that I just like all things dramatic. I have another file in the series so I may be posting it up soon.**

 **Meanwhile, please R & R and support me like you lovely bunch had always have!**

 **Love,**

 **BlissfullI llusions~**

 **...**

 **Prologue**

The maid effortlessly made her way across the palace corridors despite all of the activities about. It was to be the young princess's sixteenth birthday soon; needless to say, the king spared no expenses as per usual. Nobilities gathered from all corners of the kingdom in order to partake in these upcoming three days of joyous festivities. The palace had never been more heaving than it was now; all of this for the sake of one rather spoiled princess.

The Kouka Kingdom was one of an enriched history, with countless generations of kings who had once ruled over the land. Well located within the capital of Kuuto, Hiryuu Palace, was home to the current royal family. The current King Il's reign differed immensely from that of his father and predecessor, the King Joo-Nam, in that he valued peace more than anything. As soon as King Il came into possession of the throne, he had ordered an immediate termination on all acts of warfare of the kingdom. Opinions may vary as some may choose to describe this time as that of peace, but everyone could agree upon the notion that this was certainly not a time of prosperity. This kingdom had never been through as much of a crisis as it was experiencing now. The commoners outside the capital walls suffered from a seemingly never ending source of famine and plagues. The distribution of wealth was in ruins by the injustice of those who had thought to make a living off of the chaos. Illegal activities such as the possession and distribution of drugs and human trafficking had never thrived so greatly. However, the royal family chose to turn a blind eye on all of this destruction whilst the once great kingdom decayed on. Things will continue to be as it is now; for as long as the king's belly grew rounder and the princess's sense of entitlement grew more outrageous, then there were no "real" casualties.

This maid knew all too well of the cruelties which took place beyond these decorative walls. The plague had taken her mother from her since a young age. The exhaustion from the starvation led her father to his grave. With no loved ones left or relatives to take her in, she had no path to take except to offer her services to the local inn. Little did the naive younger version of her realize then that not all inns were the same; the partitions outside never gave away to what atrocities took place on the inside. But…it was all a tale of the past, for she was one of the lucky ones.

With every step, the maid paced closer to her destination, the surroundings grew more tranquil than the halls before it. All of the commotion and noise were drowned out by the silence of certain serenity. A soft instrumental melody could be faintly heard about as she approached the final passageway.

It was common knowledge that the King Il fathered only one offspring. His wife, the late queen, had managed to give birth to his only heir. The king never remarried nor did he take any concubines despite the allowing traditional practices. That royal heir was the Princess Yona, she and her wild crimson locks is to be the future of this kingdom. Despite being princess in title, not many within these palace walls had truly thought her to be personally worthy…as there is another lady of noble blood and meticulous breeding who resides within one of the deepest chambers of Hiryuu Palace.

The maid had arrived. She knelt down before the doors before her.

Unlike the princess, the other noble lady was never one to overstep her boundaries. She had always remained a shadow behind the Princess Yona, a great glorious shadow. She was perfect; the true embodiment of what any princess should be; gifted in her natural beauty and charming in her allure. Her excellence in poetry came was a product of her grandmother while her brilliance in dance resulted from her mother; she was the arts themselves.

"My lady, may I come in? It is I, Chan-Mi."

The strings halted their tune.

"Please do."

Everyone was well accustomed to the personality of the princess. The Princess Yona had never taken well to being outshone. Much like her untameable fiery mane, her temper was alike to fire itself. The permissiveness of her father, King Il, did little to soothe the princess when her tantrums arose. Despite all of her right of being destined for eminence, she will always be second place…the one who will always have to give way to the Princess Yona.

The doors opened to reveal…

"My lady."

The sight of a gentle beauty dressed in a soft muted lilac hue appeared before Chan-Mi. Her seamless alabaster skin graced with a dim rosy complexion accompanied by a great length of silken mahogany tresses. Long slender fingers graced over the stringed instrument to resume the same melody.

"My lady, I come baring a message." The maid announced after closing the doors.

A pair of bright mesmerizing grey eyes focused their attention upon her.

"He has arrived."

Soft petal-like lips curved upwards instantly into a radiant smile. It was a rare sight to witness. Her mistress had always been the epitome of sophistication with a tender smile attended with a courteous demeanor, however seeing her to truly bare a genuine gleam was a rare sight.

"I am sure the princess must be overwhelmed with joy." Her mistress commented with a playful grin.

"My apologies my lady, but his arrival is still kept in secrecy."

"He must be resting then. His journey to the palace had never been one of ease."

"My lady, he never went near his prepared chambers."

An elegant brow of her mistress's rose.

"Then where could he be? Fooling about with General Hak?" She teased.

"He followed me here. He is right outside your doo-"

Before Chan-Mi could even finish her sentence, the young noble helped himself and opened the doors behind her.

"Soo-Won!" Her mistress looked wide eyes at the young blue-eyed nobleman before her.

He smiled back with his eyes shining alive with the pleasantness of nostalgia.

"A-Reum."


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello Darlings,**

 **I had meant to post this chapter earlier, but I kept on forgetting. The past week had been very busy for me...you would think that I would be able to upload a file. But I am really not a very organized person! However, I still had to re-read and edit some parts because of odd wording or errors.**

 **The following chapter will have a brieft mentioning of slightly graphic scenes (nothing too major). Those of you who may have triggers with the mentions of blood and death may need to be aware before reading into the chapter. Otherwise, the rest is pretty much forward with a cut into the history of our main character with Soo-Won.**

 **Please enjoy and R & R!**

 **Love,**

 **Blissful Illusions~**

* * *

 **Chapter One: The Buddings of Spring**

"A-Reum."

He had changed. A-Reum held her breath as she took in the sight before her. It had been a long while since she had last seen him in person.

He appeared to be a completely different person. He was taller. His voice was deeper. His shoulders grew broader with the outlines of lean muscles about. The changes in the physique were self-explanatory; he was a man now and no longer that youthful boy from those years back.

Her hands unknowingly, almost as if by instinct, cupped the sides of his face. Her fingers stroked his cheeks in a tender but cautious manner. He still had the same sunshine locks and aqua eyes, however something was different.

"I'm Soo-Won. You still remember me don't you?" He teased with a smile.

…

His smile, it was no longer genuine like before. There was no sense of warmth to it; instead it had been replaced by a sense of vacancy. It was evident that he had never let go of what had happened in the past. Those memories had haunted him to transform into very person standing before her.

"Soo-Won." He repeated his name again as he bent down slightly lower in order to look her directly in her eyes.

His eyes; the glaze behind them were no longer kind like they had used to be. The sincerity had been replaced with a cold calculating demeanor. He did not come to the palace just to celebrate the princess's birthday. He had a separate motive of his own.

"You haven't forgotten about me have you?" His voice soothed.

A flicker of gentleness, a reminisce of the old times, lit up his glaze. She had broken free of her daze. Her arms embraced him tightly. It was him. Beneath all of the changes, he was still the same Soo-Won she had known.

"Soo-Won…" She surrendered into his welcoming embrace.

"I knew you couldn't have forgotten about me." His light laughter filled the room.

"I had thought that I would never see you again." She whimpered out softly as she pressed her head onto his chest. A faint aroma of sandalwood filled her senses as she lost herself in the security of his arms.

He was most definitely a man now. They were no longer the soft inviting chest she had remembered. In their place, it was the hard toned muscles of a man. She was felt safe at last.

"And why would that be?" He teased her with a doting smile.

"After that day, I never saw your face again…I only had those brief messages to remind myself of you." Tears danced around the corners of her eyes as she recalled all of those bitter memories.

It was a time of turmoil due to the instability of the political situation. After the previous King Joo-Nam's passing, the palace was at an unrest upon realization that it was the then Prince Il who had been chosen to ascend to the throne. Ideologies clashed and a struggle for the dominance of power was fought by the supporters of the two princes. Those loyal to the Prince Il argued that it was the late king's will and therefore it should be honored. The supporters of the Prince Yu-Hon denied their arguments by stating that everything was suspiciously against the overall traditions of the royal family. During then, people would mysteriously vanish and their cold dead bodies would be found shortly a few days after. The crown investigator had always labeled these occurrences as the result of an unfortunate suicide; however the truth was well understood by everyone.

After it was finally decided that the Prince Il would succeed the throne, the Prince Yu-Hon had moved out of the palace and resided with his family at a manor just outside its grandiose walls. It was considered a strategic move on the Prince Yu-Hon's part as both he and his family would have been a primary target for the occurring assassinations. Unfortunately, her mother could not escape the merciless grip of death in time.

After being orphaned with the passing of her late mother, she had spent a fair fraction of her young adolescence with his family. Soo-Won's father, the Prince Yu-Hon, had taken her under the care of his household. It was a controversial decision for her to have fallen under the guardianship of the Prince Yu-Hon. According to traditions, with the passing of both her parents, her fate fell directly into the jurisdiction of the current reigning king. The Prince Yu-Hon had denied all of the proper protocols by placing her under his direct guardianship without consulting the new King Il firstly. The Prince Yu-Hon continued to ignore the King Il's ruling suggestions by letting her stay within the safety of his household despite all of the formal letters urging for her return to the palace. Now that she reflects back upon the time, the Prince Yu-Hon's persistence must have derived from having foreseen her fate.

Needless to say, after the news of the Prince Yu-Hon's unexpected passing, there was no longer that force of protection for her. The palace guards had forcefully entered the late prince's manor and escorted her back to the palace as soon as the news of his death had come to them. She could still vividly remember the chaos and confusion of her younger self during the traumatic event. There was panic as a handful of servants attempted to lead her out of the manner before the guards could find her. They urged her to hurry and stay quiet while they made haste, but eventually the guards had caught them not before long. The sheer terror still remains with her today as she recalled the guards slaying the servants who tried to stop them. Those good and innocent people's blood spilled into a river of red before her feet. The bleakness within their eyes as their life faded away in such a cruel way. Back then, she had no idea what was happening and why it was happening. She was just a lonely child who had lost both of her parents, and then shortly after, her guardian.

She did not remember much of what had happened after the bloody massacre. All that was within her memories was the young Soo-Won attempting to reason with the guards despite being a child himself. The guards had merely informed him that they were just following the orders of the king. As she was being led away, Soo-Won held onto her tiny hands with his. He had instructed her to remain calm and that everything would be fine. He had walked beside her until the horses ran too fast and he could not keep up with the pace of the carriage. He told her that he will come find her as soon as he could and then rescue her.

That was the memory of the last time she had seen him.

Since then, she had waited. Throughout the years she received his letters through the help of those who had remained loyal to her. Each letter was read in secrecy and soon destroyed shortly after in fear of being found out. In all of them, he had given her hope; he always told her that he would come for her.

Now back to the current moment of time, his arms tightened their hold around her. Her hands pinched at the fabric of his robes as they grasped at his back. It had been so long…

"A-Reum…you know that I will never abandon my favourite girl."

He was still the same; a silver-tongued charmer. She did not care whether those words had meant any significance or if they were just his default for when a girl starts crying. She would continue to believe them until the day it destroys her.

"They had informed me that I would be taking my leave shortly after the princess's birthday. I did not think that I would have the chance to see you before then." She wept; her tears staining his robe.

"That is also the very reason why I am here." It was an emotionless response; it was sharp as it was swift.

"Soo-Won." She looked up, "I am going to the Kai Empire. Once I am there, I will not be returning back to Kouka."

"Yes, I am already aware; however I plan to put a stop to it." He replied as if the information was of no surprise.

"The king is sending me as a tribute of good will to the lord of the Sen Province. This is not something which could be disregarded so easily." She spoke firmly.

"Then do you wish to go along with it?" His eyes narrowed as they focused on her. The intentions behind his eyes were merciless as the cruel judging glaze was casted upon her.

"Only the king-"

"Kouka is in need of a new king. Do you not think so as well?" In a split second, his attitude had reformed back to its original cheerful disposition. He was a terrifying man; he was a master in the art of deception.

He carelessly walked past her and helped himself to a seat.

"Will you commit treason…?" Eyes narrowed as she whispered in a cautiously low tone.

Soo-Won poured himself a cup of the tea while acting as if nothing mattered.

"Soo-Won…this is no child's play. This is treason you talk about."

"Treason is merely an act against the king's personal best interest. If there were to be a new king then it would no longer be an issue." Something flickered within his eyes; like lightning amongst a darkened sky.

"Soo-Won, I will not allow you to so blindly throw yourself into fire like this." She argued back. He may be a man now, but he is still nothing but a child before the authority of the king. It would be so easy for the king to crush him if he wished to.

"Then you should understand how I feel about sending you to certain doom." His voice was harsh as it lashed back at her with his jaws clenched.

She had never seen him in such an angered state. The worst of him she could recall was the despair which had befallen upon him when the news of his late father's passing had gotten out.

She placed her slender fingers on top of his fist, "You are destined to be king, as was your late father. Your time will come."

Despite the current line for the accession of the throne, the common knowledge to those of the nobles was that Soo-Won would be candidate the next king. He may not be the first in line, but he has every right to be in that position given the linage of his family. He was Prince Yu-Hon's son. He was the epitome of true nobility with a meticulous bloodline and upbringing.

"If you say so, then that time is now." He looked at her with determination.

"The princess is turning sixteen years of age, and soon shortly after she will be burdened with the question of marriage. You know better than anyone else that there is no better candidate for the positon to be by her side than yourself."

"For how much longer are you willing to linger on?" He replied coldly.

It was to everyone's shock that the current King Il ascended to the throne after the passing of the previous King Joo-Nam. In most people's eyes and as well as according to tradition, the eldest son Prince Yu-Hon was the rightful heir. She remembered the dismay in her late mother's eyes when their family had first received the message. Her late mother was an avid supporter of the Prince Yu-Hon. Her late father, before his unfortunate early passing, had often been opposed to her late mother's close relationship with the Prince Yu-Hon. To this day, she strongly believed that it was her late mother's role in the politics of the throne which had sent her to her early demise. Perhaps her fate would have been different if it was the Prince Yu-Hon sitting on top of that throne. Perhaps she would not have had to live her days out so cautiously in the lonesome halls of the palace.

"There is a better way to secure the throne than the means of unnecessary bloodshe-"

His fist slammed the table causing his tea cup to fall and shatter upon contact with the ground. The action may have only taken the period of mere milliseconds, but the aftershocks echoed in her head. The sounds produced by the porcelain tea cup colliding with the ground had brought back unpleasant memories from her past; back when she had discovered her mother's lifeless body still hanging from the pillar.

Ah-Reum's eyes stared blankly at the broken porcelain pieces cascaded across the floor. Then, she had come home after her schooling for the day was done. She had decided to surprise her fatigued mother with a cup of freshly brewed tea; it was a delicacy which had been just imported from the Kai Kingdom. She remembered her tiny little hands holding securely to the delicate warm porcelain cup as she entered her mother's private chamber.

"My lady-!" The loyal maid burst into the room upon hearing the sounds of broken china.

Shattered pieces of porcelain scattered amongst the spilled tea against the floor just like how it was on that day. Her mother had committed suicide; it was the final jurisdiction made by the palace's royal investigator. Nothing had made sense then, and still even to this day it had never made any sense. Her mother was not weak like her, and she would most definitely never leave her behind so abruptly.

"…" All she could do was stand there in utter silence.

"My lady." Chan-Mi looked to her mistress. What in the world had took place behind those doors which had led to this? This was not like him…this was not the Lord Soo-Won she had been told tales about. The young lord was said to have always had a peaceful and cheerful demeanour.

After sensing the discomfort in the atmosphere, Soo-Won had decided that it was time to take his leave. He had done enough shock to Ah-Reum, any more will surely break her.

"Miss Chan-Mi, I apologize for the mess." He briefly addressed the worried maid as he rose from his seat.

Ah-Reum lowered her eyes to avoid his as he walked past her. When had be become such a violent man? Had the years which had gone past really have this much effects? Was it he who had changed, or was it her who had not changed enough?

He halted just before he could pass the door frame.

"Ah-Reum, I refuse to linger on anymore."

He looked towards the direction of the main palace hall, the location where the throne resides. He turned to face her, "I came here to make a change, the change which had been long overdue."

Something was going to happen. Something major was going to take place. She could already sense the era of revolution which would befall upon the kingdom.

"Please do not do anything you would regret, Soo-Won." The damaged lady whispered faintly before the young lord walked off.

When there is change, destruction would follow soon after. People are going to die, just like before…


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello Darlings,**

 **I am still alive. hahaha. But seriously, I do apologize for the severe delay in uploading the next chapter. I have writer's block and sometimes a struggle with the effects of being a part of a dying fandom. My thoughts shifts around and sometimes it gets too chaotic to actually make use of these ideas and create something out of it. But I am back! ...mostly, since this is just an upload of something I managed to finish over the winter holidays.**

 **Thank you for those of you wonderful darlings reaching out to me to make sure that I did not suffer the tragic fate of a writer. haha. Please message me from time to time, I really enjoy talking to all of you!**

 **Please R & R! **

**Love,**

 **Blissful Illusions~**

 **Chapter Two: The First Leaves of Autumn**

When she was younger, she never understood what it meant to be "bad" and what it took to be "good". Everyone she asked had a different answer. Her father used to tell her that there were no bad people, just persistent ones. Her mother used to tell her that there were no bad people, just ambitious ones. Now she finally understood why.

Her father had always been a kind and gentle. He shared a similar philosophy with the King Il; he hated bloodshed and would rather be harmed than to be the one harming others. He wanted nothing but for peace within the kingdom and all the lands beyond it. His vision was a world without all the pain and suffering. How could someone as selfless like her father ever be considered a "bad" person?

The opposition accused her father of deceiving everyone around him. They called him a snake and framed him for treason.

Her mother was bright and innovative, an evolutionary of her time. Mother wanted nothing but for the advancement of her home, this kingdom she loved so dearly. She challenged the gender norms and never gave up on what she believed in. She wanted nothing but for prosperity of the kingdom; to her, a affluent land was the only way its citizens could live happy and fulfilled lives. How could someone as extraordinary like her mother ever be a "bad" person?

The opposition accused her mother of attempting to usurp power. They called her a witch and framed her for treason.

When they had arrested her father, they accused him of treason for his conspiracy against the Royal Family. Her father was a gentle soul, there was no way that he would ever even think of staging a coup d'etat. Then a few years later, her mother had also been accused of the same crime and was driven to suicide. Her mother was far too proud of a woman to take her own life, there was no way that she would give up before giving her all to her cause. The deaths of her parents both came so suddenly; they were gone before tomorrow's dawn.

If both her parents had such opposing views on which direction the kingdom should pursue, then how could both of them be guilty of treason?

One doesn't need to do anything to be accused of treason, treason was the Royal Family's way of reasoning in getting their way. One could be within the good graces of the King in the morning and then as soon as the early afternoon arrived, they would be making their way to their execution. There doesn't need to be a reason, the Royal Family could simply take away anyone's everything…and they would do so without even a second thought.

These thoughts floated in her mind as she faced the man before her. He is the physical embodiment of the King's authority. He was the general of the Sky Tribe, the commander of the King's army.

This man was one of the few individuals she had contact with over the past few years of her imprisonment. He was a man of few words, but his facial expressions betrays him. He would look at her with such condescending eyes, he pitied her and it made things awkward between them. Before things took a turn for the worse, this man used to be head guard in charge of supervising the royal children; this man saw her transition from someone in a position of power to her current state.

"You are not to leave your quarters. You must return to your chambers before sunset and stay until sunrise." The man attempted to sound stern as he explained to her.

"I understand, but what kind of devastating havoc will I cause if I managed to escape? I am without title, an orphan, and just a humble nobody." The she replied back disinterestedly.

The tall man looked at her with concerned eyes. After all these years, he had aged and the scowl of his scar was now ever so deeply imbedded into his face. If peace was a good thing, then why does he look so unhappy?

"You are greater than you could ever imagine. You are the daughter of the late Lady Hwa-Young and the late Lord Chung-Hee. You are of a royal bloodline yourself and you should never think of yourself as anything less."

"Please, do not bring the past into the present. Some things a better left to be covered by the dust of time."

"The indecencies of your parents are faults on their behalves, they have nothing to do with you."

"Then why am I serving their punishment? If their actions are not supposed to reflect on my, then why am I forced to suffering nonetheless? She struggled to hold the hate within her heart.

"All of this is to keep you safe from the dangers beyond these walls."

No…it is the things within these walls that are the most terrifying.

"Lady Ah-Reum."

It was then that she realized she had gone too far, spoke about things she shouldn't have. She pursed her lips together as she took a deep breath to calm herself.

"You are one of the esteemed members of the royal bloodline. You were never a prisoner-" His sentence was cut of before he could say anymore.

"I understand your concern for my well-being. I will not step one foot outside of my quarters and keep mostly to my chambers, General Joo-Doh." She smiled at the man before gesturing for her maid to see him to the door.

She didn't want to hear about her late parents. She didn't want to be reminded of what she used to have. She doesn't want to think of her gentle and soft-spoken father who would read to her every morning and night. She doesn't want to think of her confident and beautiful mother who nurtured her with love with every breath she took. She doesn't want to remember the sight of her father's back as he was led away by those soldiers. She doesn't want to remember the sight of her mother's body hung lifelessly from the ceiling frame. However, most of all, she doesn't want to consider herself as an extended member of this damned royal family.

"My Lady, the deaths of your father and mother were not in vain. They willingly sacrificed themselves for a far greater cause." He spoke briefly before he stepped out of the room.

No…they did not die as heroes. They were the victims of the royal families' cruelty. It was a fate she will share with her parents.

…

How could a person change so drastically? Whereas Yona maintained her childlike demeanor, Ah-Reum became a ghostly figure with an aura alike to all the misfortunes she had suffered. His mother couldn't be more true when she had prophesized that Ah-Reum will blossom into a beauty, but he just wasn't prepared to face a sickly beauty. Just what went on during all these years since she was captured and sent away?

"Today, a young guard had told me about the misfortunes of his late friend." Kye-Sook spoke in an amused tone as he walked past the room.

"Please, do tell me how his friend managed to meet his end in such a peaceful era?" the young man raised an eyebrow as he commented.

"He willingly risked his life in order to get another glimpse of something the King wanted to desperately hide away." The older male replied.

"I am sure such a peace-loving king couldn't possibly have much to hide." Soo-Won taunted with sarcasm.

"But he does. The young guard fell smitten with a lady who lives in the far and isolated corner of the palace."

Soo-Won's smile was no longer present.

"Rumours have it that the young man attempted to sneak the lady out and elope."

"And his majesty had the guard executed." Soo-Won finished Kye-Sook's story.

Kye-Sook smiled before sitting down before Soo-Won, "It couldn't be more predictable for King Il to appease the Kai empire. How many treasures must he gift away before it befalls on the throne itself?"

Soo-Won looked up from his book to face his trusted advisor Kye-Sook. He was aware of the hidden meaning behind his comment. Kye-Sook couldn't care less for the material goods of the kingdom.

"The old man thinks that he could use the life of someone as a bargaining piece." Soo-Won spoke with distaste in his mouth. Such a terrible fate Ah-Reum had to suffer.

"Well, he is not wrong about the value. Lady Ah-Reum is far more valuable than the lives of any other women. With just her beauty alone, she would be able to stop a war." Kye-Sook hummed as he handed his master a scroll.

"What is this?" Soo-Won asked as he took the scroll into his hands.

"It seems that he intends to get rid of her quicker than we thought." Kye-Sook smirked before catching the crumpled piece of paper Soo-Won threw at him.

"Then his death will just have to come before that."

…

As each day passes, she is constantly reminded of her impendent fate.

The adults used to tell the children about the stories from war. While some stories focused on the vibrant culture of the hands beyond the kingdom, however it was the stories about the cruelty of the Kai Empire which resonated with her.

Her mother often called the Kai Empire the wasteland of savages. Her father would often shake his head when he hears of their brutish ways. There was not one kind memory for the empire in her memories. Often being described as a less civilized domain, the inhabitants there live in nomadic tribes and participate in outlandish and barbaric practices.

Polyamory existed in Kouka, but it was often frowned upon even amongst the nobilities where men could easily afford to live in such luxuries. The faithful union between a husband and his wife was a practice which traced back to the olden days during King Hiryuu's reign. The King Hiryuu was so smitten with his wife and remained to be so until the day he died in her arms.

Despite polyamory being not a common practice, the men of this kingdom still found ways to amuse their carnal appetites. Chan-Mi had described the existence of brothels where men go to abandon their morals. A few nobilities have their fair share of children born out of wed-lock. Mistresses were kept but none were given titles.

Sadly, her fate will not be so kind to her. She is to given to a brute and serve as his concubine. She may have never met the man, but she understands the age difference between them. Furthermore, there is no reason as to why he will treat her kindly given her heritage.

"Chan-Mi." She called out softly.

"Yes, my lady." The young maid replies.

"Have you ever thought of what you would like to do once the King sends me away?"

"I would follow you." There was no hesitation in the young maid's voice are she replied.

"I am greatly touched by your devotion, but Kai is not the same as here. Even I am unsure what will become of me once I step foot in that vast wasteland." Truthfully, she intended on taking her own life as soon as she is allowed a moment alone.

"I have no one but for you, my lady. I cannot think of what I would do if not serve your person." It was true. The Lady Ah-Reum was perhaps the kindest person she had ever met. Despite being of regal bloodline, the lady remains a beacon of humbleness. There was no one she would rather dedicate the rest of her life to.

"I cannot offer you much, but the very least I could do is guarantee a modest life for you. You could be married to a well-off man and live the rest of your life as a dutiful wife and mother to your children." Ah-Reum wanted the best for Chan-Mi; she never once thought of this girl as anything less than a trusted confidante. She wanted her to have the life that she could never have.

"My lady…" Chan-Mi understood more than anyone that her mistress was trying to give her the opportunity that she never will have.

"I am very grateful for your companionship throughout all these years. I cannot delay you any longer than I already have. I want you to live your life." Tears were started to pool around her eyes as she spoke her words.

"My lady…I will continue on being your companion for as long as I live."

There was a long period of silence. A-Reum gently used her handkerchief to dab away her tears. After she was placed into the lonely corner of the palace, she was sure that there was no kindness left in this life. Why is this girl so persistent on following her to certain doom?

"The world is an ugly place. I am grateful that all my misfortunes from before allowed me a pathway to you." Chan-Mi smiled at her mistress while her own tears stream gently down her face.

"Chan-Mi, think about what you will be sacrificing-"

"As long as I am with you, I have no regrets." Chan-Mi confidently proclaimed to her mistress.

The two girls embraced each other as they sobbed in one another's arms. This was the life of women, unable to live for themselves as they are sacrificed to burn in order for the advancements of their male counterparts.


End file.
